The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing items, in particular in pharmacies, such that the pharmacist needs not run around and search for the respective items.
In DE 299 04 863 an automatic dispenser is described which comprises a rack having inclined shelves arranged one above the other and a manipulator movable in a free space in front of the inclined shelves, the manipulator allowing controlled removal of items. The manipulator conveys the removed items to a transfer device transferring the items from the front side of the rack to the rear side thereof. A selection device is provided which allows selection of one of a plurality of dispensing locations to which the item is to be tranferred. Each of said dispensing locations is allocated to a different dispensing place. Depending on the dispensing place which has issued the command for supplying an item said item removed from the rack is fed to the respective dispensing location and then transported via a conveyor path from the dispensing location to the dispensing place. From the dispensing place the pharmacist may request an item to be supplied, the item then being fed by the automatic dispenser to this dispensing place. This allows the pharmacist to conduct a consultation with the client and to request supply of a plurality of medicines in order to explain to the client the effects of said medicines. The automatic dispenser is limited to a single rack. To attain a larger storing capacity the overall automatic dispenser plus the conveyor paths would have to be twice or many times as large as they are hitherto.
Rack systems used in pharmacies are known where racks having inclined shelves are arranged such that their take-off sides face each other. Controlled blocking devices are provided at the inclined shelves, which release the lowermost item on a shelf. Said item drops onto a conveyor which may be connected via a conveyor system comprising switches with a plurality of dispensing places. Said automatic dispenser requires a sophisticated control unit for indexing each item from the storage place to the place of destination. To ensure that the conveyor unit is not blocked for too long all items belonging to one order are simultaneously supplied to the dispensing place. If the items were individually supplied to the dispensing place, the switch setting would, for an extended period of time, prevent the overall conveyor system from being available for the purpose of dispensing other items to other dispensing places.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic dispenser having a large storage capacity and being capable of conveying items individually and in rapid succession to a plurality of dispensing places.
The dispenser according to the invention comprises various conveyor paths each of which is allocated to a place of destination. This means that one conveyor path leads from the rack to the respective place of destination. At the place of destination the conveyor paths may be split up into paths leading to different dispensing places, if required. Normally two dispensing places are sufficient for a pharmacy system. In this case the conveyor paths lead directly to the respective dispensing place without any switches being provided, with the dispensing place being the place of destination. The automatic dispenser comprises a plurality of racks with a first dispensing location being connected with a first conveyor path and a second dispensing location being connected with a second conveyor path. Depending on the dispensing location to which the manipulator of the respective rack transfers the item removed, said item is transported via a predetermined and invariable conveyor path to the place of destination selected in accordance with the dispensing location.
The automatic dispenser allows any number of racks to be added. Said racks must be connected via corresponding conveyor tracks to the conveyor paths. It is however not necessary to coordinate the control units of the additional racks or to connect them into a network. Each rack supplies its products to the conveyor paths independent of the other racks.
The automatic dispenser according to the present invention allows individual products to be very rapidly conveyed from a rack to the respective dispensing place without the conveyance of other products to the same dispensing place or other dispensing places being impeded. Further, the automatic dispenser allows the pharmacist to remove individual products for the purpose of explanation only and to manuall return them to the rack.
A particular advantage is that the racks and their respective manipulators and control and operating means operate independently of each other such that items can be dispensed in rapid succession or even simultaneously. Since each conveyor path is allocated to its own place of destination and no switches or crossing points are provided, pile-ups cannot occur. If a control unit is required for conveying the items via the conveyor paths to the respective places of destination, said control unit operates independently of the control and operating means of the indivdual racks and manipulators respectively. For example, a conveyor belt provided in a conveyor path may be equipped with a light barrier control which places the belt drive into operation when an item is put onto the belt. It is also possible to use continuously running conveyor belts or conveyor tracks in the form of chutes or tubes.
In most cases it suffices to supply two places of destination. In this case two conveyor paths are provided and each rack has two dispensing locations. It is however possible to increase the number of places of destination. In this case the number of conveyor paths and dispensing locations of each rack is also increased.
If the racks are located on the upper floor of a pharmacy, the conveyor paths may be exclusively configured as slides.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the racks are provided with their own control and operating means and operate independently of each other. The individual racks may be configured as shelve modules forming a cubicle. They receive from the goods handling computer used in the pharmacy the request to transfer a product positioned at a certain location on the rack to a certain dispensing location. The entire transport is automatically carried out by the control and operating means of the rack. Thus the individual rack modules can be operated parallel to each other and independently from each other. A special advantage offered by this configuration is that an automatic dispenser, which may, inter alia, be a complete store, can be extended by any number of rack modules.
Preferably the dispensing locations from where individual conveyor paths lead to the respective places of destination are provided on the front side, i. e. the take-off side, of the rack, while the rear side of the rack is accessible for the purpose of filling the inclined shelves without impeding the dispensing operation. A special advantage is that the conveyor paths start on the front side of the rack such that the rear side is not blocked by conveyor means. While the manipulator is operating on the front side of the rack, items can be placed onto the rack from the rear side.
One advantage is that manual access to the products on the rack is possible at any time even in the event of failure of the manipulator or one of the conveyor means. Another advantage is that items need not be transferred from the front side to the rear side of the racks.
Preferably at least two racks are arranged back to back at a distance to each other with a passage being provided between the racks. Said passage preferably extends on an elevated platform below which a conveyor is arranged. On the platform persons may walk and stand without the conveyor standing in their way.
The manipulator can be controlled such that it moves to the respective dispensing location in dependence on the selected place of destination. This offers the advantage that the selection of the place of destination is carried out by the manipulator or its control unit and that no additional selection means is required. However it is also possible to provide a single dispensing location on the rack to which the manipulator feeds all items, and to provide an additional selection means which dispenses the items via a switch or similar in dependence on the place of destination.